When composing a melody it is really important to TRUST YOUR OWN EARS!! If soothing doesn't sound good to you then change it until it does sound good!! You are your own judge - never settle for "it'll do"...

However, when inspiration is lacking trust your chord sequence to provide you with the choice notes that will sound good in making a melody.

When you have written a melody or motif or idea then don't be afraid to REPEAT it! Use the copy and paste function (CMD+C and CMD+V on a Mac) to place you melody gain in the next 8 bars and then make some changes as you listen to it.

Ways to vary your melody can include changes to the rhythm, to the pitches, adding more notes, deleting notes (although this may result in a simplified melody and would not fall under the heading of (developing a melody) or just repeating it at a different dynamic or tempo wold suggest a sense of variation!